They said
That a long long time ago
Even before the Dinosaurs
When everything was very very
Primordial
The world was one big forest
And this forest produced oxygen all day long
There was a lot of oxygen to go around
Before the dinosaurs there were bugs and slugs and salamanders
We stop growing because our bodies
Know when to stop
Insects don’t stop
So long as they have the resources
So they said
I caught some specimens and put them in a box
I pumped the box full of pure oxygen
I put lots of hummus and grubs and cheese in there
Everything a bug likes to eat
I thought
I felt a little dizzy
It was already there when I woke up
Stock still, without opinion
An abdomen shattering the horizon
Wings like church glass
Carapace glistening
Shimmering rainbow
Oil on water
Eyes that saw everything
Everything
I heard the thrum before I saw it move
The sound consumed the highway and the birds
I lost balance and hurt my palms
It lifted imperceptibly
And then it rose
Smaller and smaller, until it looked normal sized
It ascended into space and was gone